Disability, distress and employment status of cases with symptoms ‘unexplained by organic disease’ and controls with symptoms ‘explained by organic disease’
| Cases | Controls | OR difference in means (95% CI) | |
| Age, mean (SD) | 43.6 (14.4) | 47.5 (17.0) | −3.85 (−4.98 to −2.72) |
| Female, % (n/N) | 65.3 (747/1144) | 53.6 (1414/2637) | 1.63 (1.41 to 1.88) |
| Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 12-Item Scale, mean (SD)* | |||
| General health | 42.6 (26.0) | 48.7 (24.7) | −6.15 (−7.90 to −4.41) |
| Physical functioning | 63.9 (38.4) | 66.9 (36.8) | −2.99 (−5.58 to −0.40) |
| Role physical | 50.0 (46.7) | 56.1 (45.0) | −6.02 (−9.18 to −2.86) |
| Bodily pain | 58.0 (35.8) | 67.2 (34.5) | −9.23 (−11.66 to −6.81) |
| Social functioning | 62.3 (34.7) | 69.2 (33.6) | −6.91 (−9.27 to −4.56) |
| Vitality | 39.5 (27.7) | 44.4 (28.0) | −4.90 (−6.85 to −2.96) |
| Mental health | 54.5 (25.5) | 61.4 (24.0) | −6.94 (−8.63 to −5.24) |
| Role emotional | 64.7 (43.1) | 75.2 (38.9) | −10.48 (−13.28 to −7.69) |
| Composite score—physical health status | 42.2 (12.5) | 43.9 (11.7) | −1.72 (−2.55 to −0.89) |
| Composite score—mental health status | 43.4 (12.1) | 46.9 (11.3) | −3.53 (−4.33 to −2.73) |
| Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, mean (SD)* | |||
| Anxiety subscale | 7.9 (5.0) | 6.4 (4.5) | 1.51 (1.19 to 1.84) |
| Depression subscale | 5.9 (4.9) | 4.7 (4.2) | 1.21 (0.91 to 1.52) |
| Total score | 13.8 (8.9) | 11.1 (7.8) | 2.73 (2.16 to 3.30) |
| Not in paid employment, % (n/N) | 49.5 (563/1137) | 49.9 (1313/2629) | 0.98 (0.86 to 1.13) |
| If not, was this because of health, % (n/N)† | 54.2 (297/548) | 37.4 (470/1258) | 1.98 (1.62 to 2.43) |
| On income support/unemployment benefit, % (n/N) | 19.7 (224/1135) | 16.0 (417/2612) | 1.29 (1.08 to 1.55) |
| In receipt of incapacity benefit or disability living allowance, % (n/N) | 27.0 (307/1137) | 21.9 (573/2614) | 1.32 (1.12 to 1.55) |